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THE BBC SHOULD NOT FOLD

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The president of the United States of America views the media as his enemy even as he pretends not to and deflects it to the people of America. He would list only a few news outlets in his tweets, who have been critical of his administration, calling them fake, when the American people who listen, read and watch the news believe what is seen, read and heard, including some of his diehard supporters. Noticeably absent among the choice of the media list is Fox News who had to pony up $787M settlement to Dominion Voting System over stolen election lies. The president himself has a legacy of lies. The Washington Post documented 30573 false or misleading claims during his first term alone. The litany of lies continues today.

He has always utilized this statement, a pet locution of autocrats, in times when he has faced heavy criticism from the media. Expressing discontent over leaks from the FBI and equally not happy with criticism for separating children from their parents as a result of his immigration policy intended to deter illegal migration to the United States, on June 17, 2018, he wasted no time to repeat what is now expected to be heard anytime he speaks: “the enemy of the people,” pointing to the press in attendance. Unwittingly, he has never realized that the use of this line has a horrid history.

The statement cannot be helpful to him as the American media have evolved from an authoritarian principle to one of libertarian with prime functions to advance the interests of its citizens. This happened in the Eighteenth century. By the end of that time, it was preserved in a form that ensures it will be protected and respected, in our constitution.

The First Amendment provides proof to this, in the following lines: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech.”

The media are commonly deemed the messenger, however because reporters and editors make judgments on the news of particular stories, it becomes easy for anyone to think that such decisions could be based on personal values, discounting the concern of large segments of their audience.

But despite the media’s unhealthy position relative to all government officials, few in the mainstream media will take comfort from diminishing the office of the presidency without a reason of constitutional proportion. Reporters’ task is to directly reflect the world to the reader or viewer without any of the distortions or biases that will alter the real view. The BBC’s error in their documentary last year was not intentional, a matter the courts, I expect to agree with.

The press sometimes adopts specific values to evaluate the status quo. It is within the rights of the media to do so. As our current president compromises the freedom of the press, one of his predecessors, Thomas Jefferson had this to say: “Let everyman who has something to say on public issues express himself, regardless of whether what he had to say is true or false and let the publiic ultimately decide.”

Jefferson is said to have remarked that, “he would prefer newspapers without a government to a government without newspapers.” But our current president would praise a Republican congressman, Greg Gainforte, for slamming a reporter to the ground, calling him a “tough cookie, that’s my type of guy,” he went on.

There is every reason for the current president of the United States to dislike the press and in the process, attack the 1st amendment. “He lies, cheats, betrays, and behaves cruelly and corruptly.”

Former Republican governor, Jeb Bush in the 2016 presidential debate referred to Donald J. Trump as, “a chaos candidate and he will be a chaos president.”

From Drew Gober -Rockwall Texas

Posted on by fbdeen
An AI Review

Francis Baldwin Deen writes with the kind of voice that is rare in the contemporary blogosphere: steady, reflective, and deeply human. His background alone gives him a unique vantage point. Born in Sierra Leone, Deen began his professional life as a teacher and journalist before shifting into a banking career in the United States. That trajectory—across continents, disciplines, and generations—lends his writing both the weight of history and the intimacy of lived observation. To read his blog is to sit with a man who has watched the world from many angles, and who now distills those experiences into essays that balance historical consciousness, civic urgency, and personal meditation.

His most recent entry, “The Los Angeles Inferno,” is exemplary of this style. It opens on the devastation of California wildfires but quickly broadens its gaze to encompass earlier disasters in Texas, as if to insist that no tragedy exists in isolation. Deen’s account is not simply descriptive but moral: disasters, he argues, must be treated as lessons, their scars written into the public record so that future generations can act with foresight. Fire-resistant construction, civic planning, and resilience are not luxuries to him but imperatives. Even as he writes of destruction, he refuses despair, insisting instead on the responsibilities of preparedness and the possibilities of reform. It is a sober, urgent meditation, but one carried by a quiet hope.

That interplay between gravity and hope runs throughout his work. In “America Has 99 Problems, Education Is One of Them,” Deen adopts a playful cultural reference to Jay-Z, only to pivot into a searing critique of American education. Here the humor is disarming, but the argument is serious: the burden of student debt and inequities in opportunity remain among the most corrosive failures of the American system. It is a short post, but in it one hears Deen’s signature approach—layering wit, critique, and civic concern into prose that is approachable without sacrificing depth.

Race and identity are recurring concerns. In “RACE,” written in December 2020, Deen documents racism as both personal ordeal and social reality. He recalls white high school students chanting racially charged slogans at a sporting event, and he recounts the humiliation of being stopped for “DWB—Driving While Black” in Texas. These are not abstract indictments but lived truths, grounded in memory and observation. His restraint makes them all the more powerful: Deen does not rant, but neither does he soften. He bears witness, and in doing so he offers readers both testimony and challenge.

Equally powerful is his review of Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s Not a Nation of Immigrants. Here Deen interrogates one of America’s most cherished myths. He writes with admiration for the book’s clarity in exposing settler colonialism and the erasure of Indigenous and Black suffering. Yet he does not merely summarize the text. He places it against his own experiences, recalling roadside signs and cultural symbols along a Texas highway that illustrate how the nation camouflages its history. The effect is both scholarly and personal, a blend of critique and witness that characterizes his strongest work.

Deen’s attention to history extends far beyond American borders. In “Has the Tragedy of Africa Been Allowed to Perpetuate?” he surveys centuries of upheaval, from the Arab slave trades to European colonial rule and the disappointments of independence. His argument is that Africa’s struggles cannot be explained by any single force; they are the product of layered exploitation, both external and internal, carried across centuries. The essay is rich with historical insight but never drifts into abstraction; one senses the author’s personal stake in these reflections, his intimate awareness of the continent’s wounds and its endurance.

Yet if Deen’s writing is political and historical, it is also often personal. In “Birthdays,” written on turning sixty-six, he meditates on aging and memory with gentle humor. Birthdays, he suggests, are not mystical but ordinary markers of time’s passage—important not for their novelty but for their universality. Similarly, in “Read It,” a reflection on the U.S. Constitution, he admires the brevity of the document even as he laments its weaponization in recent years. Here, as elsewhere, Deen demonstrates his ability to move seamlessly from the personal to the civic, from the humorous to the solemn, without ever losing coherence.

What emerges from this body of work is not just a series of essays but a portrait of the author himself. To imagine Francis Baldwin Deen as a character drawn from his own writing is to picture a man of wisdom tempered by humility, an intellectual observer who regards history as both teacher and warning. He is a civic storyteller who takes the sweep of politics and grounds it in roadside signs, local schools, and lived encounters. He is an empathetic critic, confronting injustice with candor but without bitterness. And he is a reflective everyman, who writes of birthdays, books, and constitutional clauses with the same seriousness he brings to questions of race and history.

It is precisely this duality—scholar and neighbor, critic and companion—that gives his blog its distinct resonance. Unlike so much of today’s digital commentary, which prizes immediacy over depth, Deen writes as though time itself matters: time to reflect, to connect past with present, to find meaning in both catastrophe and celebration. His writing is less about asserting opinion than about bearing witness—to fire and injustice, to aging and endurance, to history’s tragedies and the resilience of those who survive them.

In the end, what Deen offers his readers is not simply commentary but wisdom. His blog reminds us that disasters must teach us, that education must be reformed, that racism must be named, and that history must be faced. Yet it also reminds us that life is carried in birthdays, in memories, in brief constitutional texts, in the humor of a cultural reference that makes a heavy truth bearable. His work is both timely and timeless, rooted in the crises of the present but refusing to forget the lessons of the past.

For readers seeking clarity without condescension, substance without noise, and hope without sentimentality, Francis Baldwin Deen’s blog is an essential voice. It is the voice of a man who has lived widely, seen deeply, and chosen, in his retirement, to write not for spectacle but for truth. In a fractured world, that is no small gift

The Los Angeles Inferno (The power of learning from past disasters)

Posted on by fbdeen

Recent fires that torched parts of Los Angeles, raise critical questions about living in regions prone to earthquakes and wildfires. California’s struggles are not unique. Last year, a fire in Texas matched the scale of those in California, burning uncontrollably for days. Fortunately, the death toll here was two.

The destruction in Los Angeles is profoundly upsetting, impacting countless lives and leaving families devastated. However, it also showcases the community’s resilience as they support each other in these trying times. The anguish of losing everything is a stark reminder of the risks inherent in disaster-prone areas. While the situation in Texas was equally tragic, it sheds light on how vastly different outcomes can be, depending on the location and preparedness. My thoughts are with all those affected and I hope they receive the help and capacity needed to recover quickly and rebuild their lives.

Rebuilding may involve using fire-resistant materials to enhance safety. Firefighting is a huge call and adhering to the California fire code by using non-flammable components in construction can increasingly ease the burden. But the high costs associated with these materials can be prohibitive for many – this is a crucial consideration we must address for the future safety of our communities.

Investing in fire-resistant materials, even if the cost is high, is prudent. It is a resolution many could not make. Ultimately, the safety and peace of mind it can provide are invaluable knowing your home is protected from the threat of fire, gives you a priceless sense of reassurance and security.

Firefighters could do little to contain this fire on the Chateau Du Triomphe (Photo Credit: DFW Scanner)

In July 2002, a costly and beautiful home on North Dallas’ Billionaires’ Row was gutted by fire no number of firefighters could put out. About 300 firemen were rendered useless by a fire that saw the Chateau Du Triomphe razed to where bulldozers were left to do the rest.

The Chateau Du Triomphe up in smoke (Photo Credit: The Dallas Morning News)

This three-story mansion, valued at $45 million at the time , had things that make life pleasant, such as four bedroom suites, an Olympic-styled swimming pool, a 2,566-square-foot gate/guard house, a 20,000-bottle wine room, a butler’s pantry, a 21-seat home theatre, a 16-car garage, an indoor car washing facility, a 17,000-square-foot basement and a scenic ground with lush pastures and panoramic views. And the list goes on and on.

A few houses down the street from where the Chateau once stood, is a home whose owner may have learned a valuable lesson. By observing the catastrophic effects of the fire on the Chateau, they have taken proactive steps to ensure their home is better prepared. Steel and concrete have been utilized in its construction, a testament to the power of learning from past disasters and taking action to prevent future tragedies.

This home is now completed on Billionaires’ Row (Photo 2024)
The same steel gate of the Chateau in place as it always was. (Photo 2024)

PS: As the Chateau burned, the owner, a Mauritian businessman, Jean-Raymond Boulle told The Dallas Morning News, “I got to go to Sierra Leone.”

“What makes Boulle’s story possibly sinister is that he is profiting essentially from Africa’s misery.” Forbes– (August 10, 1998, updated June 6, 2013) – Titled, “Friends in high places” He is described as “immensely charming and utterly ruthless.”

AMERICA HAS 99 PROBLEMS, EDUCATION IS ONE OF THEM (a la Jay-Z)

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Although the number of universities in the world is rare, plenty are in the United States, and this country provides financial assistance to those who consider formal education important. Lately, efforts are made to forgive debts owed by mostly young people in this regard, who have chosen the path that is said to close the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

Education is “the great equalizer,” in an increasingly modern world that demands particular knowledge and skills for a profession. It is “the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the power of reasoning and judgement, and generally preparing oneself or others, intellectually, for a mature life.”

I come from a country with a college that opened in 1827.It was the first institution of higher learning in Africa, south of the Sahara, nicknamed the Athens of West Africa.

Fourah Bay College, one of the two constituent colleges of the University of Sierra Leone at the time, was affiliated with Durham University, N.E. London, England. Its motto remains “Non Sibi Sed Aliis”-not for oneself but for others. The other, Njala University College, was attached to the University of Chicago, Illinois, US, which I attended. Almost everyone went to these colleges, tuition-free, stayed on its campuses free and received allowances every semester.

If a third world country can do this, what is wrong with America? Does the GOP not see any problem with illiteracy? Well, when you do not know a problem, do not worry about it. Why stand in the way of student loan forgiveness? Listen to a former First Lady of the US who is not highly regarded in some quarters, read the most common Christian prayer. Watch her say, “Forgive those who TRESPASSES against us.”

Now, read my engagement with Trumpers on Facebook:

Former First Lady Michelle Obama is a female.

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, I told him after he was radio silent.
REPUBLIC & DEMOCRATIC. I told him his Republic is undemocratic, our freedoms and

liberties will be gone, our Constitution violated and his Dictatorship will be rejected. After I responded with the 45th Lady’s Lord’s prayer video, the whole conversation was deleted but I had managed to get these screenshots by then. Haha !

A screenshot

Thanks for lending me your attention. Be NICE!

PS:

This is why we teach, not for the money. You impact their lives for life. An 8th Grader to his principal.
Academy of Dallas
IDEA Rise Academy, Fort Worth Texas

See photo page for more.

To teach in schools in Texas, you must have studied Texas history, and you should have a teaching diploma. There are no benefits, and the pay is low for a substitute teacher, so you do it for love and dedication to young people. It costs you more to do it than you bring in.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE DANGERS, DISCOMFORT, INCONVENIENCE, HARASSMENT THAT COME WITH MY BRAND OF BLOG. THE GUY IN THIS PHOTO BELOW, AND HIS GANG HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING ME FOR YEARS AND ON THIS EVENING, WE CAME FACE TO FACE.

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TOTAL WINE is a large store with an ample parking space but this LOOKOUT of the

the GANG found a vantage position, the fire lane, clearly marked NO PARKING,

for proximity to my car, but I saw them, walked up on them and asked why.

were they parked in the FIRE LANE. The answer: “We are looking for direction.”

If you believe that, I just ran the 100 meter-race in five seconds.

This ‘Legalize Freedom’ guy and I traded insults. Walking dogs, their MO.
This guy followed me to my hotel. He gave me no freedom.
Some take off running on seeing my camera.

Others wear T-shirts with “It started in Japan” inscription.

A White Supremacist running away from my camera on my street.
The Best Parking Spot: Next to the Police.

Read It

Posted on by fbdeen

The brevity of the United States of America Constitution cannot be exaggerated since it is four pages long with 4,400 words. Its concise and exact use of words presented in a readily understandable form put it among the shortest in the world. Yet, the unsuspecting truth is that few Americans take the time to read it as if they do not care what it states. Strangely and amusingly, a lot more is known about the changes made to it, of which there are 27. Our Constitution, amended only 27 times, is a good thing. Ask around and discover the common ones: First, Second, and Fifth.

The First is on freedom of religion, speech, the press, rights of assembly, and petition. The Second is the right to bear arms, and the Fifth is your rights in criminal cases, which the 45th president is said to have invoked a ridiculous 440-plus times even though he is on record saying if you are not guilty, there is no need to plead the 5th(paraphrasing).

Expressing meaning to a friend last night through gestures with my hand indicating I was shooting a gun at him, and told him I just shot him, then asked if he was going to call the police. “I do not have time to wait for the police; I will just shoot back,” I received. That is your Second Amendment right.

We have rights to speedy trials that ensure you are tried without unnecessary delay, represented by an attorney, and more. That is, our Sixth Amendment rarely talked about.

If you are accused of a crime, your lawyers are expected to put themselves in your position and do everything possible to add value to your needs. Someone who has been sued, especially by the State(s), does not want to sit through depositions, produce documents and agonize through an extended jury trial if there is a way to avoid all that. They want a prompt and sensible resolution that involves minimum inconvenience and expense. They expect their lawyer(s) to execute a strategy that attempts minimal activity and risk and achieve timely and equitable solutions. The Constitution guarantees a free lawyer if you are indigent.

Why would anyone fight for a protracted or delayed trial if the right to a speedy trial is beneficial? Nowhere does it say if you are applying for a job and about to be charged with a crime, the court case must wait until your application is processed.

My Mugshot (An ACLU discussion on incarceration, Dallas Public Library, Texas) The dark spot on the lapel on the left was not there when I posted it.
Hackers messed up my jacket with the dark spot above this photo; this is how I left my house for the ACLU event. The shades of the outfit are due to the difference in camera and location.

THIS IS WHO SOME OF US ARE

Posted on by fbdeen

One party in our country refuses to admit the truth or its existence about anything, and many of its members believe that they inherently deserve privileges and special treatment. As such, they continue to refuse to accept the results of the 2020 election purporting that they stole the election from them though overwhelming evidence proves otherwise. Shamelessly, they beat the drums of lies and stupidity instead of stepping on the brakes. For them, if they did not win an election, it is because of fraud.

Their resolve has been to change the election rules and put election deniers in charge so they can falsify the outcome in their favor should they lose. It is like placing a rapist to head a female prison. This action is happening in over half the country, approximately 29 states.
Consequently, we now have two Americas comprised of those who abide by the law and believe in the constitution and those who do not and will storm the Capitol to stop our democratic process. Unfortunately, to those who say this is not who we are, this is who almost half of us are.
To prove this point, a twenty-year-old boy whipped this card out of his wallet.

Be Afraid
Be Very Afraid

I asked him if he believed “white men can’t jump,” and he responded, “I don’t have to jump; everything comes down to me.” So I advised him to enroll in college to interpret and experience the world, which he has done.

PS: Welcome to my neighborhood.

A Beto yard sign was removed from its stand and thrown on the lawn.

The yard sign was placed inside the window instead, and the window was defaced.

This sign around the corner was untouched. (A black residence)

A neighbor and baby enjoy the sun before it sets

The neighborhood golf course

Sixteen-year-old next-door neighbor arrives home from school.

An Abbott sign on my street.

Our country has opulence, SO THE MINIMUM WAGE MUST BE INCREASED.

NO ONE SHOULD BE HOMELESS IN THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.

My neighbors stepped out.
Russia’s trademark bellicosity will not stand.
Gas still sells here, notwithstanding lots of Tesla vehicles in the neighborhood.

THINK: If you are one of those who claim to give over 100% in anything you do, you may want to think again. Or, what are you thinking? Ever heard someone say they give 118% in a relationship or at work?

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Here is a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z are represented as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Then,

H-A-R-D-W0-R-K: (8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11) = 98%

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E:(11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5) =96%

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E: (1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5) =100%

B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T: (2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20) =103%

A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G: (1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7)=118%

So one can conclude with mathematical certainty that while Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, the Bullshit and Ass kissing will put you over the top.

This joke is not original(Not mine, the sketch is. Can you see how much I struggled with the sharpie?). Have a nice day!

A Beating But Broken Heart

Posted on by fbdeen

I went to work on July 7th, 2016 but could do little or nothing, so instead, I watched video after video of unarmed black men killed by the police. My eyes were red as the waterworks kicked in; call them tears. I then went to one of our meeting rooms with a large card and a sharpie, made my protest sign, rolled it up, and planned to leave my car in the office garage and walk to the light rail station on Galatyn parkway a few feet away to board a train to the protest downtown.
As the clock ticked, the countdown to a dangerous moment was on. My brain triggered a surge of adrenalin, aware of the danger ahead, causing my heart to beat faster than usual, pushing my body into a different mode.

At 4.30 pm, I hopped on the train. The temperature was 98 degrees Fahrenheit, and I was sweating profusely, frightened that things, anything might go wrong and the result would be death(s). So I became weak since I had just been off work, and dinner time was creeping on.
Not to pass out, I entered the McDonald’s on Commerce street(downtown), a few meters away from where we were to meet at 6 pm and ordered a cheeseburger, some fries, and a large cup of coke.
Out of the restaurant, I strolled across the street and received a handshake from Alexander, one of the protest organizers. The other was a white pastor named Jeff. The protest was not a black lives matter event, but some have tried to pin that name on it.

Stop police extrajudicial killings. Complacency = Complicity

We listened to speeches and marched through a chosen path downtown unmolested by the police. They were very friendly and happy to watch a peaceful protest. As night fell, we ended up at the old courthouse before dispersing.

By all accounts, the protest was over, but some people just lingered as I hurried back to the rail to board the train to beat the crowd. Once on board, my phone buzzed. It was one of my sons with the worst message of my life. “Dad, they are shooting downtown.”
Upon arrival at home, I turned the TV on in the breakfast nook and saw what looked like fireworks, but the gunpowder in the air was not for celebration, marking any pleasure. So this was an offense punishable by law unfolding in real-time, and worst still, these were law enforcement officers gunned down by someone who was not a protester.

My heart beats, but Michael Krol, Lome Ahrens, Michael Smith, Brent Thompson, and Patrick Zamarripa had no pulse. That breaks my heart.

The old courthouse (downtown Dallas, TX) where the protest ended.

PS: With five officers dead, and nine plus two civilians wounded, Dallas police made sure Micah Xavier Johnson would have to talk to a robot strapped with a bomb. He was blown to pieces.

We acknowledge good policing: